Freshwater Initiative: Developing strategies

The Cape Cod Freshwater Initiative is moving forward, with much being accomplished over the past few months. Stakeholder groups, organized by groundwater lens, met three times over the past three months to learn about and share thoughts on the region’s freshwater resources, discuss pond management strategies and priorities, and share ideas for advancing and implementing actions to support pond health.  Stakeholder feedback will inform recommendations and resources that result from the Freshwater Initiative. The final round of stakeholder meetings took place in early June, with groups meeting in Sandwich, Harwich, and Wellfleet. 

Forty strategy fact sheets outlining an array of management approaches, including planning and regulations, nutrient management, sediment management, algae management, vegetation management, and fisheries management, will soon be available. 

An end-user group is now reviewing a pond data portal that, when complete, will provide accessibility to water quality data and information collected on the region’s ponds. The end-user group is comprised of members representing the Center for Coastal Studies, the Cape Cod National Seashore, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Association to Preserve Cape Cod, the MA Department of Environmental Protection, the MA Department of Conservation and Recreation, town staff, and the Commission’s limnology consultants. The end-user group will help ensure that the data portal is user-friendly and provides a useful analysis. The Commission has contracted with the Timmons Group to design the web interface for the data portal.  

A new and improved version of the Pond Restoration Project viewer is now available on the Commission website.  This data viewer and accompanying story map highlight pond restoration projects across the region, showcasing success stories, case studies, and lessons learned. Users can filter data to see various strategies, towns, and other information.  

Year Two of the Regional Pond Monitoring Program is underway. The Association to Preserve Cape Cod, in partnership with the Cape Cod Commission, is leading a team of staff and volunteers who monitor 50 representative Cape Cod ponds once per month from April through November. 

Learn more about the Freshwater Initiative: www.capecodcommission.org/freshwater